Insulating material and method of producing same



Jan. 19,1937. c; w, 05 2,067,981 Insunu me MATERIAL AND METHOD OFPRODUCING SAME Filed April 4, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Hz/m5 W FaBY v ' ATTORNEYS Ye. w. 2,067,982

Jan. 19, 1937;

' INSULATING MATERIAL AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAML Filed A ril 1935 '2Shets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

' 6t/7REN6'E 24/ Pa:

ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 19, 1937 UNITED STATES INSULATING MATERIAL ANDMETHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Clarence W. Poe, Shaker Heights, OhioApplication April 4, 1935, Serial No. 14,665 Claims. (c1. 154-28) Thisinvention relates to the manufacture of insulating material, and moreparticularly to a novel method of producing insulating bats or the likefrom mineral wool.

5 An object of the present invention is to provide a novel method forthe production and handling of mineral wool insulation whereby the woolretains, substantially, its natural fiber arrangement and insulatingqualities and is made available in bats or the like of any desired sizeand thickness. 1

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel method ofhandling mineral wool insulation, involving the collecting andcompacting of the wool to form a more or less stratifled block which canbe handled or shipped without disturbing the-fiber arrangement and whichhas dimensions corresponding with the length and width of a desiredinsulating bat, and then splitting the stratifled block into layers ofdesired thickness.

' Still another object of thepresent invention is to provide a novel andeconomical method for producing mineral wool insulating bats, or the 5like, in accordance with which the wool is projected intoa chamber andallowed to collect therein as a more or less stratified body, and suchbody is thereafter partially compacted and split on planes parallel tothe strata.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel method forproducing mineral wool insulating bats, or the like, which comprisesprojecting the wool into a chamber and allowing the same to collecttherein as a. more or less stratified body, then partially compactingthe body and cutting the same into sections transversely of the stratawhile thus compacted, and then removing layers or bats of desiredthickness from the sections.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description when taken in conjunction with the accompany-- ingsheets of drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is an elevational view, with parts insection, showing apparatus which may be used in carrying out my novelmethod.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, partly in section, illustrating one stepof my novel method. 50 Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an elongatedsection which has been cut from the par-.; tially compacted body ofmineral wool.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the elongated section of Fig. 3being cut into smaller sec-' Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a batbeing split from the topof one of the sections, and I Fig. 6 is aperspective view showing one of the stratifled sections prepared forhandling or shipplug. .5 My novel method, which is to be described morein detail hereinafter, provides for the economical production ofinsulating bats, or the like, of mineral wool with a minimum crushinganddisturbance of the wool fibers. Such bats of mineral 0 wool arecommonly used for the insulation ofhomes, ovens and various otherstructures, and for maximum insulating efliciency the wool fibers shouldremain in an unbroken, relatively loose and fluiiy condition. Bats ofthis character are 5 produced by my novel method, the first step ofwhich consists in projecting mineral wool into a chamber or compartmentand allowing it to settle therein in a natural and more or lessstratifled body. The collected wool is then partially com- 20 pactedinto a stratifled block or section, of a desired size, from whichsuccessive layers of the wool, of the desired bat thickness, are thenpeeled or split on planes extending parallel with the strata.

In carrying out my novel method, the mineral wool may be projected intothe collecting chamber directly from the wool producing apparatus and atthe rate that the wool is being produced. In Fig. 1 of the drawings Ihave shown one form of apparatus which may be used for producing thewool and collecting the same in a stratifled body. It will beunderstood, of course, that various other kinds of suitable apparatusmay be used in carrying out this method step.

The apparatus illustrated in v this instance 35 comprises a collectingchamber or compartment it, which may be substantially closed except foran outlet for air and vapor and an inlet for the mineral wool. The airand vapor outlet may be a 40 circuitous or bailled passage II, leadingfrom the collecting chamber to atmosphere. This passage may have one ormore screens I2 therein to prevent the mineral wool from being carriedout of the collecting chamber by the air stream, and at its outer endmay have a cupola I3 through which the passage discharges to atmosphere.

The mineral wool which is supplied to the chamber l0 may be produced bya well known blowing operation performed by apparatus i5 5 locatedadjacent the chamber. Various kinds of available apparatus may be usedfor producing the mineral wool, one arrangement of which is illustratedin this instance as comprising a blast furnace or cupola it fordelivering a stream 5'! of molten material to a jet [8 of steam or othersuitable fluid being discharged from the nozzle IS. The steam or otherpressure fluid is supplied to the nozzle through the pipe I9a. The jetl8 breaks up or shreds the stream I1 into minute glass-like strands orthreads and thus converts the molten material into what is known aswool. The molten material from which the wool is produced is a lava-likesubstance formed by melting slag, rock, or the like.

The steam jet I8 is arranged to project the mineral wool into thechamber l0, preferably through a relatively short tubular member l9. Thewool projected into the chamber I0 is in a light, fiufiy condition, and,in accordance with my invention, is allowed to settle to the floor orbottom 20- of the chamber and collect in a natural and more or lessstratified body. When the mineral wool is allowed to settle and collecton the floor of the chamber in this manner, the fibers remain in anunbroken and uncrushed condition and build up upon each other insubstantially horizontally extending strata to constitute the stratifiedbody of wool 2| shown in the drawings.

The collecting chamber In may be of any desired size or shape, and maybe a chamber having length and width corresponding with similardimensions of a stratified block to be formed, or may be a chamber of asize to produce a very large stratified block from which a number ofsmaller stratified blocks or sections may be out.

After the operation of the producing apparatus 15 has continued for along enough time to cause a substantial body of the wool to be built upin the collecting chamber ID, the producing apparatus is shut down andpressure is then applied to squeeze the wool into a partially compactedand more or less stratified block; The pressure may be applied by anydesired means and may be applied to act in any desired direction, Iprefer, however, to apply the pressure either from the top or bottom ofthe collected mass, that is to say in a direction substantially normalto the planes of the strata. I prefer to apply only sufiicient pressureto enable the body of wool to be formed into sections which can beconveniently handled in the manner to be ex- It is desirable that exces;

plained hereinafter. sive' pressure be not applied to the collected bodyof wool, because it will crush and break the fibers of the mineral wooland will thereby destroy their ability to resume a loose and flufiycondition and thus greatly reduce their eificiency as an insulatingmedium.

The partial compacting of the body of mineral wool may be carried out invarious ways, for example, gratings 23 formed of boards or slats, asshown in Fig. 2, may be introduced into the collecting chamber l0 andlaid upon the upper surface of the body of wool. The load needed tocompact the body of wool the desired extent may be furnished by one ormore workmen standing on the gratings. If desired, additional load maybe placed on the gratings in the form of suitable weights, should thisbe desirable or necessary. The gratings 23 are preferably formed inelongated sections corresponding in dimensions with the lateraldimensions of sections which areto be cut from the collected andcompacted body of mineral wool.

After the gratings 23 have been applied to the top of the body of wool,and while the wool is in the compressed or partially compactedcondition, the body is cut into sections. The cutting operation may beperformed while the wool is still in the collecting chamber, but ifdesired, provision may be made for removing the compacted body from thechamber prior to the cutting so that resumption of the operation of-theproducing apparatus need not be delayed.

Sections of any desired size may be cut from the compacted body of wool,andif desired, the gratings 23 may be constructed of the size of thesections to be cut; The compacted body may be divided into ,suchsections by cutting along appear after having been separated from theoriginal body 2|.

If the insulating is to be used as bats of shorter dimension than theelongated section 25, this section may be cut transversely into a numberof smaller sections or blocks 26, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Incutting these smaller sections, the grating 23 is replaced by a smallergrating 21 which is used as a compacting means and template while thesmaller sections are being out.

After the sections or blocks of the partially compacted stratified woolhave been formed; as explained above, the compacting pressure and thegratings are removed and the desired insulating bats are peeled or splitfrom the blocks. These bats are preferably peeled or split in successionfrom the top of the blocks, although the blocks may be divided into batsin various other Ways. In dividing the blocks. into bats, the wool issplit on spaced planes extending parallel with the natural strata of thebody of wool, as shown in Fig. 5, and in this way the separating of theblocks into the-bats 28 can be carried-out with minimum breakage ordisturbance of the wool fibers. The bats which are successively peeledor separated from the tops of the blocks may then be placed in suitablecontainers for transportation to the point of use. It should beunderstood that theblocks of compacted wool, such as the blocks 25 and26, are formed so as to have sired thickness can be had and immediatelyapplied to the oven structures.

It is not necessary that the blocks 26 be immediately split into batsand, in most instances, these blocks are transported to the point ofuse, which may be a stove factory or other place, and there split intobats of the desired thickness.

The blocks are especially adapted to the carrying out of my methodbecause they are compact and can be readily handled and transportedwithout destroying the original fiber arrangement. The blocks may beretained in shape and in the compacted condition by any suitable meanssuch as the end boards 29 applied to the top and bottom, as shown inFig.

6, and the metal bands 30 extending around the boards and block. Fromthe foregoing description and the accompanying drawings it will now bereadily seen that I have provided a novel method for producinginsulating bats of mineral wool with minimum breakage and crushing ofthe wool fibers. When insulating bats are formed from mineral wool inaccordance with my method, the wool is partially compressed to enablethe same to be formed into blocks or sections of the desired dimension,but since the wool is in a naturally stratified condition, suchcompressing produces very little breakage or crushing of the woolfibers. It will therefore be seen, that when the pressure is releasedand the sections are split into bats of desired thickness, the mineralwool will still have its natural and original stratified fiberarrangement, and will be in a relatively loose and fiufiy conditionwhich is very desirable for maximum insulating value.

In the specification and claims I have referred to the insulatingmaterial as mineral wool, and by this expression I mean anyof thevitreous-like insulating wools regardless of whether they are formedfrom rock, slag, limestone, synthetic minerals, glass, silica or anyother material. It should also be understood that the term bat, as usedin the specification and claims, is intended to mean any body, blanket,layer or the like, of insulation regardless of its size, shape orspecific use. Y

While I have described the method of my invention in a somewhat detailedmanner, it should be understood that I do not wish to be limited to theexact steps of procedure herein disclosed,

-but regard my invention as including such changes as do not constitutea departure from the spirit of the invention and the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. The method of producing insulating. bats which comprises projectingmineral wool into a chamber and allowing the wool to settle therein withits fibers extending in substantially horizontal strata. applyingpressure to the topof the stratified wool and relatively compacting thesame without otherwise disturbing the wool fibers, and thereaftersplitting the stratified compacted wool substantially horizontally intobats.

2. The method of producing insulating bats or the like which comprisesprojecting mineral wool into a chamber and allowing-the wool to collecttherein as a stratified body, applying pressure to the bodysubstantially normally to the plane of the strata to partially compactthe wool, cutting the body into sections while thus compacted, andthereafter splitting the sections on spaced planes parallel to thestrata.

3. The method of producing insulating bats or the like which comprisesprojecting mineral wool into a chamber and allowing the wool to collecttherein as a stratified body, applying pressure to the bodysubstantially normally to the plane of the strata to partially compactthe wool, cutting the body transversely of the strata while thuscompacted and thereby dividing the body into sections having lateraldimensions corresponding substantially with the bat size desired, andthen splitting the sections on spaced planes parallel to the strata.

4. The herein described method of producing insulating wool bats or thelike which comprises projecting insulating wool into a chamber andcollecting the wool therein in a naturally stratified condition,compacting the collected wool by force applied thereto in a directiontransversely of the fiber strata, cutting the compacted stratified bodyof wool into blocks of length and width corresponding substantially withthe length and width of the insulating bats to be produced, transportingthe blocks to a point of use and meanwhile maintaining the stratifiedwool in the compacted condition, releasing the pressure on the compactedwool, and then separating the blocks into insulating bats or layers bysuccessively splitting the same on spaced planes extending substantiallyparallel with the fiber strata.

5. As an article of manufacture a block of horizontally stratifiedmineral wool having lateral dimensions corresponding substantially witha desired bat size, and removable binding means normally holding thestratified wool block in a compacted condition for handling andshipment,

